Simple explanations with answers to CSEC Geography 2011 multiple choice Attached is the 2011 CSEC Geography multiple choice paper. Explanation is attached for each question.

1. Prepared by Oral Johnson
Simple explanations to CSEC Geography 2011 Multiple Choice
1) The grid reference for the school at Golden Grove is 273426. Answer is A
2) The general direction of Port Morant from Golden Grove is southwest. Answer is C
3) The bearing of the main road junction at Golden Grove from the Arcadia Junction is
approximately 450
. The direction is northeast and the corresponding bearing for northeast is
45o
. Answer is A
4) The distance between Brechin Castle and Sangre Grande is 35miles. Answer is B
5) A scale of 1: 10 000 means that I unit on the map represents 10 000 units on the ground. So you
must be using the same unit on either side, for e.g. one cm on the map represents 1000cm on
ground or actual distance in real life. Answer is B
6) *********** not seeing the diagram
7) ***********
8) The lowest annual number of visitors in any month was 30,000. You have to look at the y axis
carefully as the number of arrivals are in thousands (000’s). Answer is C
9) The highest/largest numbers of visitors arrived in the summer months. June, July and August
had the highest number of arrivals. Answer is B
10) The landform sown at Y is a ridge. A ridge is a narrow part of a high area. Answer is B
11) The contour interval is 10m. Contour interval is the difference between two contour lines.
Answer is A
12) St Petersburg is located at 600
N and 300
E. When locating a place the latitude is giving first then
the longitude. Latitude is north or south of the equator and longitude is east or west of the
prime meridian. Answer is D
13) To get the answer we will have to do some calculations. When the locations are in two different
hemispheres you add them. St Petersburg is at 300
E and New Orleans is at 900
W. 30 + 90 = 1200
.
You then divide by 15 to know the difference in hours between the two places. 150
is equivalent
to one hour. 120 divided by 15 is 8, so there is an 8 hours difference between the two places.
We want to know the time of New Orleans. New Orleans is west of St Petersburg. In a situation
like this we going to subtract. Once a place is to the west of a next place they will be behind
time. West is less and east increase. Similarly if a place to the east of a next place they will
always be a head of time. If it is 10pm at St Petersburg, subtract 8 hours from 10pm and the
answer is 2pm the same day, on Monday. Answer is C
14) The settlement pattern at X is a linear settlement. The houses are on either side of the road and
it forms a distinctive line pattern. Answer is C
15) All of the options can describe the stretch of coastline. It is straight, it is sandy and it is trending
from northwest to south east. Answer is D
16) Hurricanes are calm in their center, they move across the Atlantic Ocean and they decrease in
strength overland. The hurricanes in the Caribbean originate off the coast of Africa. Hurricanes
do not normally form close to the equator where the ITCZ because the corilois force or (rotation
of the earth) is not strong enough to make the system spiral or spin. Hurricanes do not originate
in the ITCZ. Answer is B
17) The population density for Barbados is approximately 1, 678 persons per square mile. The
formula for calculating population density is equivalent to dividing the population by the area of
a country. Therefore the calculation would be 278 580 / 166. Answer is C

2. Prepared by Oral Johnson
18) Based on the data in the table the answer is that Barbados has a higher density than Guyana.
Barbados population density is 1678 and Guyana is 9. Answer is D
19) The relationship between longitude and time is that time changes by 4 minutes for 10
. Every 150
is an hour or 60mins. Therefore one degree is 60mins/15 which is equal to 4. 10
=4 minutes.
Answer is A
20) The flow of river would vary most from season to season at I and III. Once there is precipitation
water will be in the river and consequently discharge will be high. Conversely if there is no
rainfall the volume will be low. For the first five months of I there is no rainfall. This means that
there is a dry season and there is no water in the river. Rain started to fall in July this is the
beginning of the wet/rain season. The first 4 months in III have rainfall. This would mean there is
water in the river. Rainfall declined significantly in May and the following months. III is heading
into a dry season. Answer is B
21) I had the greatest variation in rainfall. For the first 5 months there is absolutely no rainfall. The
dry season last for 5 months. Rain started to fall in June which is the beginning of the summer
months. No other graph had this stark difference. Answer is A
22) Two problems associated with urbanization are poor public transport and unemployment and
underemployment. Urban areas are usually overpopulated. There are more people than the jobs
available. This may result in unemployment. We are seeing a lot of call centers in Kingston and
the major urban areas in Jamaica. When some persons leave university they may find a job a at
a call center. This is because sometimes their field is over saturated and the number of
applicants outnumber the number of jobs. Their skills are not being utilized as they’re not
working in their respective fields. This is underemployment. The JUTC bus serve is very
important for commuters. There are too much people and as a result buses are usually
crammed. In addition, there are not enough buses on some routes. Lack of adequate housing is
also a problem. There is too much people in relation to the housing. Housing shortage is a
problem in Kingston. There is little space for housing development. Answer is C
23) The prairie environment is well suited to commercial arable farming because of the flat or gently
undulating land, deep, rich soil and accessibility to markets. Canada is located close to the
Caribbean and the United States. These are two major markets for Canadian Wheat. The cold,
dry winters will not help as this can damage the wheat and prevent growth. Wheat farming
takes place in the summer months. The wheat needs right amount of rainfall and temperature
for optimum growth. Answer is B
24) Most of the forest vegetation shown in map c is found in areas with the highest elevation.
Forests are usually located in mountainous regions. Answer is D.
25) The areas of coconut cultivation are on the coast and are under 150m in height and have under
1500mm of rainfall. Some areas of coconut cultivation on the coast receives less than 1000mm
of rain and some areas between 1000-1500mm of rain. Answer A
26) Not all volcanic eruptions are violent. Basic lava volcanoes have gentle and infrequent eruptions.
The low viscosity traps less gas and as a result there is little or no explosion. Answer is B
27) The peeling off of the outer layers of rock is called exfoliation. It is sometimes called onion
peeling and typically occur when during large temperature changes or from pressure release.
The outer layer of the rock is weathered first and the layer by layer. It is like stripping or peeling
onion as it occurs layer by layer. Answer is C

3. Prepared by Oral Johnson
28) When magma emerges on the earth’s surface, it may lead to the formation of lava flows. All the
other features are intrusive volcanic features. They’re formed when magma cools and solidifies
before it reaches the earth’s surface. Answer is A
29) Intensive mechanization is most typical of wheat farming in the Prairies of Canada. The farms
are very large so they use machines. The labour force that is present operates the machines.
These fields are over hundreds of kilometers wide. Canada has the financial resources so they
can invest in mechanized equipment. Answer is A
30) Vegetation contributes to the development of soils by producing humus or organic matter.
When vegetation such as leaves fall to the ground it gets decomposed by microorganisms. The
decomposed vegetation is brown and dark coloured in nature and is also called humus. It is rich
in minerals as and it increases the fertility of the soil. Organic matter and humus can be used
interchangeably. Answer is D
31) The reason for the sparsely settled inland areas of some Caribbean countries are because the
interiors are hilly and forested and transport links with the interiors are generally poor. The
interiors have no natural resources. This is an incorrect statement as interiors of the Caribbean
have natural resources. Answer is B
32) A river transports load by solution. Attrition, corrosion and hydraulic action are methods of
erosion. Answer is D
33) Potholes will tend to form on the bed of a river if the river has a high volume and lows over a
steep gradient. High volume is needed to ensure that vertical erosion or erosion on the bed can
take place. Potholes are usually formed in the upper course where the gradient is the steepest.
Answer is B
34) Rural to urban migration is the most important contributor to the growth of cities in the
Caribbean. There is a significant difference between rural areas and urban areas. Urban areas
have more job opportunities as well as more services. This is lacking in rural areas. This usually
encourage movement from rural areas to urban areas. Answer is D
35) Poor housing conditions is a major problem of urban areas in Caribbean countries. For e.g. there
is a serious housing problem in Kingston. Kingston is very small in physical size and the
population is particularly high. As a result squatter settlements usually develop and here
residents build their homes with inferior materials such as boards and zinc. Some structures
don’t have running water or proper sanitation facilities. Answer is C
36) Very intense rainfall and poor cultivation techniques may increase the rate of soil erosion. If the
soil is exposed then rainfall will eroded it easily. Small scale farmers usually plant on the
marginal lands on the hillsides. Sometimes they cut down trees to facilitate farming. This can
have a negative effect on the environment as trees stabilize the soil and prevents erosion. Trees
also replenish the soil with nutrients in the form of leaf droppings that will eventually become
humus when it is decamped by microorganisms. Afforestation is the planting of trees which is
good for the environment as trees protect the soil and reduces erosion. Answer is C
37) The value of manufactured products exported greater than 75% of the total exports is Barbados.
By looking at the graph the primary products exported was about 24%. Therefore the remaining
manufactured exports would be more than 75%. Answer is A
38) Guyana has the greatest difference in value between primary products and manufactured
products. The primary products exported is approximately 95% and the remaining 5% would
represent manufactured products. The difference is 90%. Answer is B

4. Prepared by Oral Johnson
39) The diagram is showing relief rainfall as the mountain is present. Frontal rainfall occur when
cold air and warm air meets. Frontal rainfall is not show on the diagram. Answer is A
40) II would be the best location for an urban center. There is a port at II and the land is flat due to
the absence of contours. A flat land and the closeness to a harbour or port are actual factors
that result in the development of several urban centers in the Caribbean. Good example is
Kingston. Answer is B
41) The dotted line represents a watershed. Watershed is an area of highland that separates
different drainage basins. Answer is C
42) The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation in permeable rock. The soil can be
separated into two zones, zone of aeration where the poor spaces are not filled with water and
a zone of saturation where all the pore spaces are filled with water. The water table separates
both zones. The rocks in the saturated zone would have to be permeable or porous for it to be
filled or saturated with water. Therefore, the water table is the upper surface of the zone of
saturation in permeable rock. Answer is B
43) Tropical continental is characterised by tall grasses and scattered trees. The trees are not
clustered together but are scattered over the landscape. Answer is C
44) Composite cone is made of alternate layers of ash, lava, and cinder. Cinders are also small
fragments of lava. Like ash and cinder cone that is made up entirely of ash. Answer is D
45) The large labour force is not a problem affecting industrial development in the Caribbean. Even
though our populations are not high as other countries but there are always people looking for
job opportunities. Labour would not be a problem if there should be any industrial development
in the Caribbean. Answer is C
46) Peasant farmers grow a variety of crops because they want to: reduce losses caused by pests
and diseases, maximize the use of small areas of land, and ensure steady income all year round.
By characteristics peasant farmers don’t usually export crops. The commercial farmers do that.
Peasant farmers usually provide for the domestic market. Answer is B
47) The area best to locate a factory would be at II. This is without thinking that we have to cut
down the trees to facilitate the factory. Trees are great absorbers of gases. Gases that can be
emitted from factories can be absorbed by these trees. Trees store carbon in their leaves. They
also help with reducing pollution by trapping and removing dust and particulate matter that
may come from factories. They also absorb harmful gases such as ammonia, nitrogen oxide, and
sulphur dioxide. Locating the factory there would help minimize pollution. Answer is B
48) V would be the most likely area to develop a resort. Most of the hotels in the Caribbean are on
the coastline where there is easy access to the beach. Our tourism product is san, sea and sun.
Therefore a coastal location at V would be ideal. Answer is D
49) The presence of the flat land and the presence of the natural harbour are the reasons for the
location of the urban center. This is similar to Kingston’s situation. Kingston is located on the
Liguanea plain which is flat and it is located close to the 7th
largest natural harbour in the
Caribbean. The flat land allow for easy development of infrastructure, settlements and
businesses. The harbour serve as the center of our trade. All imported and exported goods must
enter or leave from the harbour. These conditions make it a perfect location for an urban
center. Answer is A
50) The town would most likely expand to the east. There is space to the east for lateral expansion.
Answer is C

5. Prepared by Oral Johnson
51) The setting up of factories in the Caribbean have resulted increased employment opportunities.
Once a factory is developed it will need workers. So people will be employed. There may also be
a particular demand for the goods that is being produce. This may come from different
countries. Therefore setting up factories may result in increased external markets and not a
decreased external markets. There is no reduction in the cost of living due to development of
factories. There will be a decreased in the importation not an increase. We usually import what
we don’t produce. So if we are producing it we will import none or less of it. Answer is D
52) The greatest influence on tourism in the Caribbean is climate. Our peak tourism period coincides
with the cold winters in the temperate countries. People usually want to escape the cold
temperatures in the winter to experience the warm and sunny climate in the Caribbean. Even
when it is winter in the Caribbean the temperatures are high enough. Answer is D
53) Water pollution is most likely a problem at Y. There is a town nearby and improper disposal of
waste into the river will be transported to the coastline. This can be solid or liquid waste.
Answer is C
54) The improper disposal of waste will more likely result in water pollution on the coast. There is a
town nearby and improper disposal of waste into the river will be transported to the coastline.
This can be solid or liquid waste Answer is B
55) Treatment of sewage and hygienic disposal of domestic waste can control water pollution along
the coast line. Once sewage is treated properly the water can be reused and poses no threat to
water bodies. Improper disposal of waste is a serious problem in the Caribbean and if this can be
corrected then this will definitely control erosion. Answer is B
56) X represents percolation. Percolation is the downward movement of water in the soil. Answer is
C
57) Smog is a form of air pollution. Smog is a kind of air pollution, originally named for the mixture
of smoke and fog in the air. Smog usually results from the burning of coal from factories.
Answer is D
58) Dumping of waste poses the most serious threat to rivers in the Caribbean. This can be
household waste that is dumped into nearby rivers. This can be solid waste or liquid waste.
Answer is D
59) The problem of household waste may be reduced by burying and covering with soil. This is
especially true of organic waste. Things such as banana skin, remains or orange can be buried.
These are called biodegradable materials. They can be decomposed by microorganisms in the
soil and they will eventually form humus and become a part of the soil. Answer is A
60) Sewage discharge can result in eutrophication. When this happens the algae deplete the marine
organisms of oxygen. Eutrophication usually prevent sunlight from reaching the corals and this
can hinder their growth. Answer is D

6. Prepared by Oral Johnson